Psalm 36 is especially appropriate during this Lenten season as we examine our hearts before the Lord as we remember his great work to purify our hearts and deliver us from the death our sins produce. This post is excerpted from a longer post previously published on my Our Long View blog entitled, "Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire". This brief reflection on Psalm 36 is merely the first part of a longer teaching found there.
“What’s In Your Heart?” or, “What Speaks to your heart?” (Psalm 36)
Psalm 36 describes the nature of the heart of the wicked. Often commentators summarize this passage in terms of the wicked person’s behavior which is certainly addressed, but it is deeper than that.
This section (v.1-4) describes their heart and what flows out of it.
This section (v.1-4) describes their heart and what flows out of it.
Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil.
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil.
When I read this passage I have to ask the question, “What speaks to me, deep in my heart?” We will do what we want to do; we will serve what we love. It may be God and the people he created in his image, or we may serve only ourselves. The wicked serve themselves to the harm of others. We should not fall into the error of the wicked and imagine that we will get away with our iniquity. God will hold us accountable for what we have done. It is hard to imagine someone who lays in bed at night planning how they might take advantage of others the next day! May we not allow transgression to speak to us deep in our hearts. That place should be reserved for something much better!
In contrast to the wicked, the psalmist allows God’s love to capture his heart in v. 5-9,
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
He ends this psalm with a heartfelt prayer for God’s love to continue (v. 10), and a prayer to be delivered from the actions of the wicked for they will ultimately be “unable to rise.” (v.11-12). So how can we keep the pride of the wicked from our own hearts?
Proverbs 6 gives us a plain warning…like that of a smoke detector! The rest of this message can be found in, "Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire".
